Niger has expelled three Chinese oil executives following a dispute over salary inequalities between expatriate staff and local workers, Oil Minister Sahabi Oumarou announced.
Oumarou stated that the Nigerien government was dissatisfied with how wealth was distributed between the state and its foreign partners.
He highlighted that in 2023, a Chinese employee in Niger earned an average of $8,678 per month, while a local worker in the same role received just $1,200.
Despite repeated attempts to address the pay gap, negotiations failed to yield a resolution, leading to the decision to expel the executives. “We remain open to discussions,” Oumarou added.
The move aligns with a broader strategy by military-led governments in West Africa, including Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, to assert greater control over their natural resources and curb foreign dominance.
Since coming to power, Niger’s military government has:
- Terminated defense agreements with the U.S. and France.
- Seized control of the Somair uranium mine, previously operated by the French company Orano.
The expulsions signal Niger’s growing resolve to demand fairer economic terms from foreign investors and protect its national interests in the energy sector.